Lucian
Mara and I returned to our room after the broadcast. My hands were still trembling. We had just set the world on fire, and now we were waiting for the flames to spread.
Five hours in, the outrage came like a wave. People weren’t just angry, they were livid.
They were calling for Alaric’s head. His supporters were scattering like ash in the wind. Many of the Alphas who once pledged loyalty to him had shifted to neutral ground. Only three territories still stood behind him: Kentville, Goldenpeak, and Eboncrest. Just three. The rest had either turned away or vanished altogether.
We could’ve crushed him now and been done with it. But no, we had issued a challenge, and honor bound us both to see it through. Rules were rules. Even if every instinct screamed to strike while he was wea
